Our housing crisis is real. Part of Oregon’s problems of affordable housing can be traced back to Senate Bill 100 and the formation of the Land Conservation & Development Commission (LCDC) in the late 1970s.
More than 40 years have passed, and it’s obvious that the old LCDC goals and guidelines do not adequately deal with some of the new realities of the 21st century. There is no climate change goal, for example.
And the statewide problem of homelessness is not just a political, economic and social problem, but it’s also a land use issue. The city of Eugene recently pressured the state into outlawing homeless camps along the Willamette River. Roughly 100 out of 140 homeless camps in Eugene are located in that area. Where are they supposed to go if the law is actually enforced?
And the number of homeless people is expected to grow every year for the foreseeable future. Clearly, land use plans need to address how homeless populations can live in safe and secure environments. Land use planning needs to address the neighborhood resistance that prevents groups of homeless people from being dispersed in a well-thought-out manner.
It’s time to reevaluate LCDC’s total framework to take into account the massive social and land use challenges we’re facing today. A rethinking of land use planning and zoning in the state and city can lead us all to new ideas and novel solutions.
Karl Eysenbach
Eugene
A Note From the Publisher
Dear Readers,
The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.
That’s because of you!
Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.
Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.
We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.
And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.
None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.
As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.
Thank you for standing with us!
Publisher
Eugene Weekly
P.S. If you’d like to talk about supporting EW, I’d love to hear from you!
jody@eugeneweekly.com
(541) 484-0519
Comments are closed.